#rivervale_lodge

In the night, a dim blue glow flickers in the kitchen - a ghostly azure flame.

That morning, for breakfast, Ann-Marie finds all the eggs in the carton cracked, with little puddles of raw white... but no yolk to be found in the mess.

Well, porridge it is! Ann-Marie, ever practical!

----------

(Curiouser and Curiouser. These sort of things seem like something Symon may have picked up on. He IS pretty perceptive...)

He might indeed...

Heck, the bogganness may have mentioned it in that inane stream of prattle and gossip before school... how odd, the eggs were fine last night. Does Lovecraft know how to get into the fridge?

-------------

After school, Symon finds his minis spread out on his bed - undamaged, but haphazard.

------------

Symon gazes at this, eyes narrowing a bit, and then heads to find Ann Marie - checking the kitchen, naturally.

Yup. Cleaning a counter

And on a phone "Anyway, I was talking to my hair dresser, who told me that her cousin heard from her Uncle who is on the school board that there's a dance coming at the high school.. and not just anydance"

"Mm mhhhmmm mmm hhmm"

He lurks over until he's a smudge in her line of vision, and waits, fingers drumming almost silently on the countertop.

"Anyway.. oh no, " She notices, "No certainly not a problem. I can see why you wouldn't want the dog to dye pink...better get him out o there. I have something to tend to. Yes, see you later Norberta" And she hangs up

He looks upset, and starts to say something, then closes his mouth. An inhalation, exhalation, and starts again after a moment, a little calmer. "Hey, Ann Marie... remember when we had that conversation about you helping, uh, 'tidy' my room? We agreed that you'd leave it be as long as I kept it picked up, even if it was dusty..." He trails off, expectantly.

"Yes, I do wish you'd let me dust it now and then but I know you're a growing young man and need some space. "A sigh

He looks confused. "Then why did you sort out my minifigs?" He runs a hand through his greasy locks, pushing out of his eyes for a moment. "-THEY- weren't dusty, I had them in the drying case so that dust wouldn't get on the paint before it set."

"Minifi..." Anne Marie looks confused as well, "Honey, I don't know what you're talking about."

"Minifigs. You know, the gnashers, espers, the legion..." He stares at her befuddled look, before taking a quick look around to make sure that Dirk isn't lurking nearby, and steps closer to hiss, his cheeks purpling slightly. "You know, my little... army men..."

"OOooo those" She coos "So adorable. And it's okay to call them dolls if you want to. Things are different now, right? " then "but still, honey I didn't touch them."

His head droops, letting his hair fall back in his face. All the better to hide him from the world... and he mutters, "And damned if I can ask Dirk..." a sigh, and he shrugs, looking as bemused as Ann Marie did earlier. "Okay. Nevermind. Just... nevermind."

"Are any of them missing? "

He thinks for a minute, running a mental inventory. "I don't think so..."

"Well, if Dirk did it, I would have thought he might have got... the munchies" mmm "Very odd. Not as odd as the eggs, but odd"

"True." Not to mention that Dirk would likely emphatically shy away from anything so potentially 'gay' as (siiiiigh) 'dolls'. "What happened to the eggs? I kept mine in the backyard like you asked, after the last mixup." He is quick to add.

"The carton eggs were all cracked... no yolks. Oh well, no harm, porridge is easy"

"Hrm." He looks grim. "A coincidence, I'm sure. Or maybe Dirk brought in those groceries."

"Anyways. I'm gonna go reorganize my figs." Slinking back towards the basement.

"Okay, dear... and I'm sorry something happenend to your little army men you didn't like, wish I knew how it did. I had dolls when I was your age too." A sigh "Piggy Princess was my favorite. Do you name yours?"

"Oh, he's gone" She sighs as he has apparently slipped towards the basement nto a little but entirely "I suppose it's for the best. I almost spoiled the news about that sadie hawkins dance after Christmas"

The miniatures remain on the bed, save any Lovecraft may have deemed worthy of death.

And Anne Marie goes back to Anne Mariing.

If he wasn't gone by the time she started down memory lane, he DEFINITELY had vanished, quicker than you can say "Piggy Piggy Princess". POOF